| 1 | 1 | | 83R3852 ATP-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Elkins H.B. No. 986 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the language in which a ballot to be voted by mail is |
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| 8 | 8 | | printed. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 84, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 84.014 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 84.014. APPLICATION FOR BALLOT IN ELECTION IN WHICH |
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| 13 | 13 | | BALLOT IS REQUIRED TO BE PRINTED IN LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) For an election in which ballots to be voted by mail are |
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| 15 | 15 | | required to be printed in two or more languages other than English, |
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| 16 | 16 | | the secretary of state shall prescribe procedures, including the |
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| 17 | 17 | | modification, as appropriate, of the officially prescribed |
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| 18 | 18 | | application form for an early voting ballot so that: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) the applicant for the ballot may indicate on the |
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| 20 | 20 | | application the printed language the applicant desires for the |
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| 21 | 21 | | ballot; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) if the applicant does not indicate on the |
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| 23 | 23 | | application a preference for the ballot to be provided in a |
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| 24 | 24 | | particular language, the ballot shall be provided to the applicant |
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| 25 | 25 | | in English. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) The early voting clerk shall provide the applicant with |
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| 27 | 27 | | a ballot in the language indicated on the application if that |
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| 28 | 28 | | language is required to be used for ballots in the election or, if |
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| 29 | 29 | | no language is indicated, provide the ballot to the applicant in |
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| 30 | 30 | | English. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. Section 272.006(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 32 | 32 | | read as follows: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (b) If a separate translation of the ballot is made under |
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| 34 | 34 | | Subsection (a), the translation must be furnished to each voter to |
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| 35 | 35 | | whom an early voting ballot to be voted by mail is provided. This |
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| 36 | 36 | | subsection does not apply to an election to which Section 84.014 |
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| 37 | 37 | | applies. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 39 | 39 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 40 | 40 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 41 | 41 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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